This Saturday, March 1, HuskerThon will return for its highly anticipated annual event, bringing together the community for a day of fundraising, celebration and support for Children’s Nebraska. The event will take place in the Centennial Room in the Nebraska Union from 1-9 p.m., with the fundraising total announced at the end of the event. This year’s theme, “Racing for More,” is a fitting tribute to the tireless efforts of medical professionals and families who are racing against time to provide the best care for children in need.
When you donate to HuskerThon, you’re helping children like Malcolm.
In May of 2013, Malcolm was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma at 4 1/2 years of age. At the time, his family lived in central Iowa and Malcolm was originally treated at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. Over the course of the next 15 months, Malcolm received 10 rounds of high-dose chemotherapy, two rounds of targeted radiation, surgery to remove a tumor in his abdomen, and many other treatments and procedures. Unfortunately, his cancer stopped responding to treatment, requiring Malcolm’s case to be transferred to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, where they specialize in his type of cancer. The research team there was working on a clinical trial for an immunotherapy targeted for neuroblastoma. As Malcolm’s last treatment option, he received 10 rounds of this painful treatment, which thankfully would not cause long-term damage to his body. This treatment was miraculously effective, with no evidence of the cancer after two rounds!
Two years after treatment ended, Malcolm’s father took a job at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and subsequently moved the family to Lincoln. This move would not have been possible without the prospect of Malcolm’s post-cancer care being in excellent hands in Nebraska. Thanks to Children’s Nebraska and many other providers, Malcolm is receiving the specialized care he needs as he faces the longer-term consequences of heavy cancer treatments. Malcolm has roughly 20 specialists with more than a third directly affiliated with Children’s Nebraska!